With the Atlanta Falcons announcing they signed wide receiver Laquon Treadwell in free agency, here’s what Treadwell could bring to Atlanta in 2020.
In what has already been a busy offseason and free agency period for the Atlanta Falcons, the team has brought in yet another target on offense prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season. This week, the Falcons reportedly agreed to a contract with young wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, who previously had played with the Minnesota Vikings.
With Treadwell heading to Atlanta, that means the Falcons at the current moment have a total of 11 former first-round draft picks on the offensive side of the ball alone.
After losing tight end Austin Hooper to the Cleveland Browns in free agency while releasing running back Devonta Freeman at the start of the new league year, the Falcons have bounced back and added some nice targets to replace those two players within the offense.
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Right after Hooper decided to join the Browns and ultimately leave Atlanta, the Falcons went out and traded for Baltimore Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst to replace Hooper within the offense. Shortly thereafter, Atlanta signed former Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley to take over as the starting running back following Freeman’s departure.
And now, the Falcons have added yet another interesting option on offense with the signing of Treadwell on the outside of the field.
Treadwell wrapped up his fourth season in the NFL and with the Vikings in 2019 after he was drafted by Minnesota out of Ole Miss in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
While not living up to expectations right out of the gate in his career, the Vikings ended up actually releasing the struggling wide receiver last season, until they went back out and re-signed him in September of last year.
In 2019, the 24-year-old wideout appeared in a total of 13 games for Minnesota, hauling in a total of nine receptions for 184 yards and one touchdown.
When it comes to what Treadwell could bring to the Falcons in 2020 and possibly beyond, it won’t be likely that he would be heavily involved in things within an offense that is pretty deep at the receiver position right now.
The big, physical wideout who stands at 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, could mostly be utilized as more of a No. 4 or No. 5 option in Atlanta, considering that Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage will likely fill the depth chart at the top three wide receiver spots.
If Treadwell puts together a nice showing during minicamp and during the early portion of the 2020 season, he could climb to as high as the No. 3 wide receiver alongside Matt Ryan and company on the offensive side of the ball.
At the very least, Treadwell provides Atlanta with a veteran wide receiver to add further depth at the position heading into the upcoming year. It could end up being worth taking a flyer on a player who was once viewed as a high-potential target coming out of college.